Epigraphia Indica Vol 08

Author(s): E Hultzsch
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India

Page 22

No. 3.)
MADRAS MUSEUM PLATES OF VEMA.
The statement in the inscription that Vêma restored the agrahdras wrested by the Muḥammadans from Prat&parudra is, so far as I am aware, the only epigraphical reference as yet discovered to the Muhammadan conquest of Warangal. It also shows, as has been already pointed out by Mr. V. Venkayya in his Report on Epigraphy for 1899-1900, that the Reddis were the political successors of the Kakatiyas. There is, however, no satisfactory evidence for determining exactly when the Reddis came into power. The account of the Kakatiya dynasty compiled for Colonel Colin Mackenzie and deposited in the Madras Library of Oriental Manuscripts says that Pratáparudra's generals were all Padmanayakas or Velamas, and this is confirmed by the poem entitled Velugôțivari Vamávali, i 6. Genealogy of the Velugôți family of Venkatagiri).' The only reference made by the former book to the Reddis is a short passage in which one Téråla-Bucha-Reddi is said to have fought for Pratå parudra in his final battle against the Muhammadans. It is not known whether this Bachá-Reddi had anything to do with the Reddis of Kondavidu.
According to the traditional history of Kondavidu preserved in the Kondaviti Dandakavsls, the Reddis became suddenly rich in the time of one Donti. ALIAJA-Reddi, who robbed a man named Vems of the Komati caste, who was his guest, of a piece of philosopher's storte (sparsavédi). When the stone, in securing which he had spent the best part of his life, was stolen, the Kömati, the book saya, died of broken heart, and on his death-bed he enjoined that his name should be perpetuated in the family of the Reddis, and that the wealth obtained through the stone should be spent on charity. The account proceeds to state that, with the money thus obtained, Pôlaya-Vêma raised troops, seized Dharanikota and the neighbouring country from the officers of Pratáparudra, and subsequently established bimself at Kondavidu. It is difficult to say what truth there is in this story. It may have been suggested by the fact that Komati was a recognised name of several members of the family. From Srinatha's Haravildsam we learn that a Komati named A váchi-Devaya, son of Påvåni, a great merchant of Sim havikramapattaņa (Nellore), was the chief source of support (prdpu) to Vêma. AvachiDévaya's son Tippa, to whom the book was dedicated, was also a great merchant and was purveyor to Kumaragiri-Reddi. It would seem that Avâcbi-Déva supplied Véma with the sinews of war and thereby enabled him to found and extend his kingdom, and that his descendants rendered similar assistance to the descendants of Véma.
The original sphere of influence of the Reddis was Pakan du or Pangidesa. It may be that they originally governed this province subject to the authority of the kings of Warangal, though no proof of it exists. When the power of the Kakatiyas began to decline, the Reddis became independent and made Addańki their capital. It seems to have been the fashion with the Reddis to have & surname for each. Vėms signed as Pallavatrinētra, Kumarogiri was Vasantaréje, and Kômaţi-Vema was Viranarayana.
According to the Dandakavili, vêma was the first independent Reddi chief, and there is no evidence that any of his predecessors was such. The present inscription shows that Vema himself extended his dominions at least up to the northern bank of the Kțishna, while the Amaravati inscription shows that his territories extended up to the banks of the Godầvari.! There are no means of knowing when the capital was removed from Addańki to Kondavidu. That this was not done prior to the Saka year 1283 is clear from the Amaravati inscription of that year, which refers to Addańki as the capital. This inscription also shows that Véma, son of Malla, was at that time governor of Dharaņikota or Dhânyavați under Anapotá-Redại. I
1 He is described as having granted to Brahmanas villages on both sides of the Brahmakundi, the Krishna and the Godavari, and also in the country between these rivers (Brahmakundi-Krish pa pongd.Goddpart.mahdnadi. tatad raya-tanmadhyad dia-dali-dndke-dgraldra).
? No. 253 of the Government Epigraphist's collection for 1897.
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